Exploring and emulating the complexity encountered in self-organizing biological matter has been a central theme of our research program. In terms of scope, our activities fit into four main categories:
- Development of new imaging tools and techniques, for in situ single nanoparticle growth, optical stress in nanoparticle clusters, and mechanical stress in viruses
- Work on fundamental questions relating to bio-inspired self-assembly, e.g. How to achieve bottom-up, efficient three-dimensional organization, controlled at multiple scales? How do we reach beyond the crystalline state in metamaterials? What physical principles govern morphogenesis in self-organized biological systems such as viruses?
- Applied research, explorations in bio-enabled synthesis of metamaterials, energy transduction at nanoscale, and the biomedical field
Besides bio-inspired materials and self-assembly, his research interests include nanophotonics, biophysics, and thermodynamics of small systems.
Projects:
- Tools and methods development
- Fundamental Studies
- Applications
Keywords: virus-based biomaterials; biophotonics; biophysical chemistry of virus self-assembly; methodologies for measuring microscopic dynamics in supramolecular complexes
